PC won’t start (Solved)
October 24th, 2016
I’ve got a desktop pc running vista. No previous issues but after being off for a couple of days it won’t run.
Starts, monitor works, fans run and the hard drive clicks a few times like it wants to run, then nothing.
I don’t get anything coming up on the screen. Tried reconnecting all plugs. Reseat all memory sticks, pulled the battery and reset.
I’ve got 2 HDs in the tower. One is the OS and data. The other is backup.
Any insight to what else I could try to get it running?
Obviously, I’d like to save the data if possible. Thanks,
Are you getting any beep codes or LED codes (if your mobo has them)?
Can you enter on bios?
the hard drive clicks a few times like it wants to run, then nothing.
Hard drive should not be clicking… A clicking drive is a failing drive…
Bro, try a different video card in the PCIE slot to rule out rendering issues on your MB.
Sometimes, drive noise may amount to a failed boot.
You have to rule out the hardware and use basic components – swap them out to see results…
Like said. It should not be clicking. Its normal to hear the vibration but not clicking sound.
I need to you answer a question. When you power up your pc. Can you see settings or any words? Like how to get into bios or your computer name etc? If you can then your hard drive is dead. If you cant then we’ll go from there.
Reply back.
Could be the read/write head on the drive is stuck, either that or the HD is busted ……. take it out, wrap it in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer overnight …… that sometimes allows the read head to loosen up.
Question, You mentioned that you reset the BIOS by removing the battery, But did you unplug the power cord before you did so? (Doing this with the power cord plugged in is useless!) Also, How much time was the battery out? You should give it at least 10 mins to be on the safe side. Apart form that, It’s possible one of your memory sticks have gone bad, In order to test it, You should try each one standalone (With the other ones disconnected)
Also, You should use a flashlight and inspect the motherboard & video card (if not onboard) for bad capacitors (That have brown/yellow substance leaking from the top or bottom), If it’s all good in that department, Then do the beeping test (A healthy motherboard should beep without memory sticks, If it doesn’t, Then it’s dead!)
If everything is still looking good, Then that leaves the PSU & Video card. If you have any you could borrow from another PC, Give it a go. Alternatively, You could check the PSU with digital multimeter (I could give you the how-to if needed), Also, If you have both an integrated GPU & Video card, You could remove the card and try the onboard one (Do note however that most desktop motherboards made in the last few years that have external display ports don’t actually have an integrated GPU – This has been moved into the CPU’s themselves, So you may or may not be able to use the motherboard’s display ports, It all depends on your PC specs really – Which you haven’t yet provided btw!)
Hard drive should not be clicking... A clicking drive is a failing drive...
Actually, That is not entirely accurate!
Most desktop HDDs make a single click when being powered on or off, Which is considered normal.
If it clicks more than once, Then it indicates a bad PSU or a faulty HDD. I realize the OP has mentioned it
clicks “a few times”, But he also mentioned that he got 2 HDDs, So it’s possible that he meant that he heard both of em click once and not multiple times, But I’ll have to wait for the OP to clarify this of course.
Set all that aside, Whether one of his HDDs got issues or not, I honestly don’t think it’s related to the main problem
Usually, If an HDD has a serious mechanical or firmware problem, The motherboard would still display the post screen (It’d just freeze on it and wouldn’t progress any further) So I don’t think this is the cause, But I guess the OP got nothing to lose by trying to disconnect em.
Thanks for all the replies. I don’t get any beeps nor can I access anything as I get nothing on the monitor other than “no signal” .
I did remove the cord and pressed the start before removing the battery and checked for any visual issues.
My video card is internal so I can’t pull that. As for the specs of the computer ..it’s an Acer with a Vista OS but other than that I don’t recall.
I’m considering getting a HD case, pulling the drives to see if they work as externals.
I did search online from another computer for info on checking the psu but in all honesty, it’s a bit beyond me.
No offence, But judging by your reply, It’s very clear that you do not have the required expertise to get this fixed yourself! Better just take it to a nearby computer store.
No offense taken but if I had the “required expertise” I wouldn’t have posted. One does learn by doing and I’m just looking for ideas and the correct sequence for testing. Frankly I would rather screw it up myself, rather than bring it into a store.
Disconnect the data and power cables from all the drives and power on the computer… If it is the PSU or video you will still se the “no signal” on the screen…
Disconnect the data and power cables from all the drives and power on the computer... If it is the PSU or video you will still se the "no signal" on the screen...
Kind of a pointless test. Failed HDDs with not prevent the PC from POSTing.
At this point, I would be looking for a power supply from another PC to borrow and test with. If the problem is not the power supply, you are most likely looking at a mobo replacement. I would say the odds are very high that the data on your HDDs is still intact.
If a drive is locking or has a short it will cause the PSU to shut down and the computer will not POST…
Yes another PSU is a good place to start but if he doesn’t have one on hand it can’t hurt to test other options…
Borrowed a video card but it didn’t help. Disconnected cables from the HDs and repowered. Fans run but same issue. Going to check if my master HD works.
Just checked the HDs and both are good…yeeha.
So…MB or PSU?
Would the PSU still be bad even if it’s powering the fans, start light and turns the DVD?
How do you check the MB?
I also wonder about the battery being an issue. It’s original…maybe 5 years old.
Just re-read your post scratch that
No offense taken but if I had the "required expertise" I wouldn't have posted.
I see now that “expertise” wasn’t the right word, Let me rephrase that, What I meant is, That judging by your reply to my post, I don’t think you have what it takes to troubleshoot it yourself! (Don’t take it personally, Just making an honest observation) I’ve made this conclusion due to the following reasons:
1. It’s pretty obvious you know very little about computer hardware.
I’m not holding this against you of course (Not everyone can be computer experts) but this really doesn’t help your situation.
2. In your reply to my post, You’ve made no references whatsoever to half of my suggestions, Which makes me believe that either you didn’t read it all, Or failed to comprehend it (And believe me when I say, I kept it as simple as I could!)
3. You don’t seem eager enough to learn these stuff (And I’m basing this on your lack of willingness to learn how to test PSUs^) You didn’t say that it appears to be difficult but you’ll be willing to learn it, You just said that it’s “beyond” you (And this, In my honest opinion, Is an attitude of a person who is NOT interested of learning)
Then there’s #4 & #5 (Which I’m basing on your latest reply), In which you asked the following:
How do you check the MB?
Now, If you’ll re-read my previous post, You’d see that I already answered this question in advance (As I knew it might be the cause)
And also this:
So...MB or PSU?
Another proof that you didn’t read/comprehend my original post, In which I mentioned it could also be bad RAM (memory) and also specified how to test it (But you’ve made no references whatsoever to this subject!)
Would the PSU still be bad even if it's powering the fans, start light and turns the DVD?
Yep. It’s not just about providing power, It’s about providing stable power!
I also wonder about the battery being an issue. It's original...maybe 5 years old.
Highly unlikely. At worst, If it doesn’t have enough juice, BIOS settings would be reset to default and you wouldn’t be able to change anything (Or modify date & time) but that’s about it, It shouldn’t prevent the motherboard from posting.
My opinion stands still, Trying to get this fixed yourself would be a waste of time, But good luck!
I’m not being mean here, Just honest. You ignored or failed to comprehend half of my suggestions, Plus, Despite not having the required knowledge, You’re not willing to learn it, So it’s beyond me how you think you’re gonna do this yourself.
Well I have learned it’s not the video card and I’ve also learned it’s not the HDs which I’m copying as I type. As far as testing the PSU I did google it before I ever posted and found the instructions a bit more than expected. It just wasn’t at the top of my check first list.
Read what you want into my comments, it’s not an inability nor a lack of desire to learn. I was just looking for the “For Dummies” version.
While I do appreciate your insights, a little condescension goes a long way.
LOL, condescension? I believe you meant consideration (As it doesn’t make any sense otherwise!)
Anyways, I was just telling it like it is. I did my very best trying to help you and explained things in the
simplest way I could, Yet you either didn’t fully read my post, or failed to comprehend it!
So what do you expect me to say? It’s not like you said “Look, I don’t understand this and that, Could you clarify further?” You just flat out ignored and made no reference to it! How am I suppose to help someone who does that? It’s pretty much like talking to the wall IMO. Also, I don’t know what kind of instructions you found on Google, But the method that I use for testing PSU’s (With a digital multimeter) is not overly complicated and is quite easy to do!
Just because I made no reference to your comments doesn’t mean I ignored them. Nor did I ignore the comments from others that posted and didn’t get a comment from me.
Honestly my primary concern has always been saving my data, which I did…on my own. After that it becomes how much effort do I want to put into an older desktop.
A new MB and a new PSU is cheap, easy to install and probably the better path to take given the age and use of the existing. Your original comment that said, while not directly, I was just too stupid and should have someone else fix it for me.
That is all irrelevant at this point as it wasn’t the PSU but the MB which a friend took from an old PC and I swapped out. So I pulled out and tested my HDs. Secured and backed up my data. Did install a new video card, which I wanted anyway.
Not much, but it’s got me back up and running.
I’ll mark this solved.